


There's No One Like You, Matthias

by NorthwesternInsanity



Category: Music RPF, Scorpions (Band)
Genre: Angst, Breakups, Broken English Dialogue, Brotherly Love, Fluff, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Valentine's Day, or perhaps not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 12:43:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15972557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthwesternInsanity/pseuds/NorthwesternInsanity
Summary: When Matthias Jabs is left down in the dumps by an ex-lover at seemingly the worst time of year, The Scorps pass their love to their youngest member and guitarist.





	There's No One Like You, Matthias

**Author's Note:**

> The broken English in the dialogue is just to make it more authentic -these guys always had and sometimes still have some less than fluent moments in interviews with their German accents (it can be quite adorable).
> 
> Written back in February 2017 as a self-pickup. I hadn't fallen out of love, but I was having to break up a toxic friendship, and it kind of sucked too. It turned into me just wanting to see Matthias' cute self get hugged.

Klaus Meine walked from the backstage lounge and into the changing room following a show as the meet and greet died down. As he did, he noted a quiet, slumped over, and sulking Matthias Jabs on the bench, fingering listlessly against the strings of his beloved white Gibson Explorer with the black stripes on the corner. 

It seemed Matthias had not been himself the past week. He'd experienced a painful breakup over a nasty phone call home to what was now his ex-girlfriend and lover. Since then, Matthias -the youngest, newest, loudest, and most hyper and enthusiastic guy in the band -had been near silent, almost lethargic offstage, and generally miserable. But tonight, Matthias looked pathetic. He hadn't even bothered to stay out for the meet and greet. He'd disappeared into the dressing room and out of sight before the fans could even get there.

It was February thirteenth. The day before Valentine's Day. 

Klaus noted with a sigh that this had to be adding insult to injury in the worst of ways for Matthias. He wouldn't be getting a letter with a Valentine wish from his lover the next time they got their bag of mail. He'd sent one over a week ago to make sure it got there on time. Just the day before he got that phone call -meaning it had been for nothing now. There was no reason to call home from the road. They wouldn't be having a late celebration when he returned home on a break from touring. It was over.

"Matthias? You okay?"

Matthias just shrugged, not even looking up.

Feeling a twist in his stomach, but not prodding any further, Klaus went to go get showered and changed.

Rudolf was in the shower stall next to Klaus. Klaus could tell by the way Rudolf slung his towel over the curtain rod instead of on the hook outside the stall.

"Rudy?" asked Klaus over the noise of the running showers.

"Yes, Klaus? What matter?"

"You think Matthias will be okay?" 

Klaus heard nothing but quiet aside from the white noise tone of the showers, then a sigh from Rudolf echoing against the acoustic of the tiles up the wall.

"Matthias -I no know, Klaus. He is not himself. I get annoyed at his big mouth -but I miss it now."

Klaus nodded as if Rudolf could see through the divider. He missed Matthias' wild energy too.

"He's out there -he has not showered yet. Sitting with guitar and looking very sad."

"I wish I knew how to make Matthias feel better, Klaus," said Rudolf mournfully.

"I too," agreed Klaus.

It went silent again. Over the showers, Klaus and Rudolf could hear some echoing from outside as Herman and Francis were heading to the dressing room too.

"Matthias, you been here whole time?" asked Francis.

"I guess. I don't know where else to go," murmured Matthias.

Herman went up to Matthias, squatting down and getting a look in his face. Matthias had dilated pupils and a slightly runny nose, having obviously taken a couple of hits of cocaine, and there was a hint of alcohol on his breath.

_He is struggling and hurting so badly. Worse than we even thought,_ Herman thought to himself. Usually, if Matthias was going to get high or drunk, he did it on the party scene. He wasn't the type to do it alone wallowing in misery like he was now.

Matthias shifted his hand on the neck of his guitar, exposing a fingertip. Having played before the show, during the show, and pressing down extra hard in his moping state, Matthias had cut red, bloody lines into his finger tips.

_"Scheisse!"_ Herman swore. He grabbed Matthias' hand and took a closer look at his fingertips, gasping. "This horrible!"

Eyes widening with a nervous and timid look, Francis peeped over Herman's shoulder, seeing Matthias' blood-smeared fingertips. He grimaced painfully.

Matthias pulled away and got up, heading for the showers without a word.

Defeatedly, Herman and Francis followed. Before entering the shower area, Francis turned to Herman and whispered.

"Should we talk to Klaus and Rudolf? Figure out something, you know?"

Herman thought a second and nodded.

"Yeah. He's real sad and down, you know? We should do something. Make him feel better."

Then he refocused his attention.

"Come on. We can talk on ze bus about it."

And so they did. It wasn't difficult to do so discreetly either. By the time they had returned to the bus, Matthias' high had worn off, and the buzz of the alcohol he'd consumed had set in, leaving him incredibly drowsy and nearly asleep on his feet. 

Herman walked directly behind Matthias, ready to catch him should he become unsteady on the way back to the bus, and up the steps. Once on the bus, Matthias immediately climbed into his bunk and was out cold with the blankets yanked up over his head -even in a warmer climate zone with the bus warmer than any of the Scorps generally cared to keep it. 

Herman turned around to find Francis at his heels. 

"Klaus and Rudolf in back lounge," he said.

"Let's go," said Herman, answering Francis' unspoken question. They went through to the back of the bus, stopping in the doorway.

"Klaus? Can we talk? You know -about Matthias?" requested Francis.

Klaus and Rudolf sat on one of the two couches, though both were practically silent, looking rather bewildered.

"I think so. Yes. We need to," said Klaus, nodding eagerly.

Herman nudged Francis, and the two went inside and sat down on the other couch.

At first there was silence, all pondering the dilemma.

"He was really down after show. Like I never seen before," said Rudolf quietly.

"He is," cut in Herman. He proceeded to tell about what he and Francis noticed when they took a closer look.

Klaus' eyes widened with shock before deep sadness set into his features.

"I wish there is something we can do," murmured Francis.

"You think how alone he feels," started Herman. "You know -Francis my best friend, Klaus is Rudolf's best friend. Matthias... He's great. We all like him. But he still sometimes seem the new one. Doesn't have any close one to him."

Rudolf sat back and sighed. It was true. It never seemed to bother Matthias regularly. He was always outgoing and happy, even if he was the new one and the odd number who didn't have a close friend in the band. He was also younger, putting him in the awkward position that Michael had once been in. Matthias was older and more assertive with them than Michael -also not having an older sibling in charge.

But even as guitar partners, Rudolf wasn't as close to Matthias as he was to Klaus. He interacted with the singer more onstage than he did trading lines with Matthias. It seemed natural, and that was how it was. He knew Klaus more and had known him longer. Just as Herman and Francis were. Unless all of them were together, Klaus hung out with Rudolf, Herman hung out with Francis, and Matthias usually retreated to his fascination with his guitars.

"We all do like him though. Matthias great," put in Francis. "Sometimes annoying and loud. He's crazy, but very funny. Energizes us."

Klaus' eyes lit up again, and this time his features perked up.

"I have idea!" He grabbed a pad of paper. "We make note for Matthias. Tell me, all of you -what about Matthias do you like? You know?"

"What I just said!" exclaimed Francis promptly.

Klaus scribbled on the pad.

"Herman? Rudolf?"

"Hard not to laugh when he laugh," contributed Herman with a smile.

"He really good guitarist -compliment me in what we do best, and really passionate," said Rudolf. It was hard for any guitarist to not be interested in the specifics of instruments, but Matthias was a guitar nerd. He loved his guitars -fascinated over them the way most guys his age in the music industry fascinated over sports cars.

Five minutes later with more contributions about the group, Klaus had a page full of things they all thought about Matthias.

"Alright. Now," said Klaus, pulling out a clean sheet of paper. "We put together all this!"

Klaus ended up sitting in Rudolf's lap and leaning over the coffee table writing as Herman and Francis squeezed in on either side to see and contribute to the final product.

"I think this good!" announced Klaus after half an hour, putting the finishing touches on it.

"Yes, I think too!" agreed Rudolf.

Klaus folded the paper in half, writing on the outside "Matthias" to address it to their stricken guitarist. Herman went to retrieve a roll of tape he had in his bag.

They stuck the note to the crossbeam over Matthias' bunk so that when he woke up, it would be right above him for him to see it. Satisfied with their efforts, the other four Scorpions climbed into their bunks. It was almost three in the morning.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Matthias," Rudolf whispered into the dark.

Then he, along with his bandmates, drifted off to sleep.

************

Matthias woke the next morning to blindingly bright sun streaming in the bus windows.

"Unh... Who ze fuck opened ze curtains wide...?" he moaned almost inaudible to himself as he sat up, shielding his sleep-blurred eyes with his hands and rubbing them. He checked his watch, seeing it was almost noon. Or maybe a bit earlier -they were planned to cross a time zone overnight and shift back an hour.

Then he saw the folded in half piece of paper hanging over him with his name on it.

"What 'zis...?"

He unfolded the piece of paper. It was Klaus' handwriting, but he had an odd feeling Klaus hadn't put it there.

Blinking his eyes to clear his sleep-ridden vision one more time, Matthias looked closely, reading the content.

_Matthias,_

_Our youngest. Our newest. Our crazy, silly, energetic guitarist._

_You write incredible solos and riffs with us._

_You love your guitars, and you give us your passion for them._

_You can be the life of the party when we are all together._

_You have a "big mouth", but a good heart leading to it._

_You make us smile with your own smiles and wit._

_You make us laugh with your wild humor._

_Sometimes, you even drive us a little bit crazy._

_But that doesn't make any difference to us._

_Without you, our sound would not be the same -trading lines with Rudy, laying down your harmonized solos, flashing your impish winks into the crowd and making the girls faint. We would not have your energy and humor to keep us going when we're tired and frustrated with the road and the world. We would not have the guitarist who took us to the best success we have had. And we would be missing a very good friend too._

_Klaus and Rudolf are most close. Herman and Francis are very close._

_But every one of us -we love you, Matthias. All of us. And we never will leave you alone or stop loving you. Because there's no one like you to us._

_-Klaus, Francis, Herman, and Rudolf_

 

In the front lounge, Herman shushed Klaus and Rudolf, hearing a creak from a bunk ladder. Francis heard it too and quieted before Herman gave his warning.

"I wondered if he get up today," whispered Rudolf jokingly with a weak smile.

A few seconds later, Matthias emerged around the corner, unusually timid for him. His expression was nervous and slightly shocked, his eyes wide and slightly watery. In his hand, which shook lightly, was the note.

"Guys-?" he started softly.

Herman got up. "Come here, Matthias."

Matthias barely made it a step forward before he was pulled into a classic Herman Rarebell-style bear hug, courtesy of his muscular drummer body.

Matthias let out a small cry of surprise, and the next thing he knew, Rudolf affectionately ruffled his hair, the way he sometimes did backstage to drive Matthias crazy, or simply rile him up when he was already hyper. A big grin sprung across Matthias' face so that his cheeks puffed out and his eyes crinkled. 

"Whatza-?" Matthias found himself lost for words. Francis took over the hug, his lanky body not as warm and hearty as Herman's, but every bit as caring and loving.

"Love, Matthias. We love. All of us," Francis murmured. 

Klaus affirmatively placed his hand on Matthias' shoulder. Herman held Matthias' left hand, gently running a finger over Matthias' fingertips, still cut, but no longer raw from their abuse last night. Healing with his heart. Herman pressed a light kiss to Matthias' hand, just to reinforce Francis' words.

Matthias nodded, looking up as Francis released him a minute later. He swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat and blinked away the sting in his eyes. He found there was no longer a cold ache in his heart, but a warm swelling.

_"Danke_ , Klaus. Thank you Herman. And Rudy and Francis." 

Klaus smiled warmly back at Matthias' teary-eyed emotional one.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Matthias."

"I not alone after all," Matthias chuckled, wiping his eyes, going to hug the singer and having to bend his knees to compensate for his shorter stature.

Klaus smiled.

"Never," he whispered. "Never alone."

"And," said Rudolf in a louder tone, cutting through the scene. "There is guitar shop in next town. We stop there, and take you with us!"

The mention of the guitar shop and everyone -not just Rudolf -going was the icing on the cake.

Matthias lit up and looked about with wild and hyper delight. Without a doubt, for following a breakup, it was the best Valentine's Day he ever had. One simply with his two favorite things in the world -guitars, and the band of his dreams.


End file.
